The Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 f/2.8–4 ASPH lens review. We review this key standard zoom lens for the Leica SL system. We will look at the ergonomics, centre, and corner performance of the lens. In addition we will examine the OIS performance along with general usage of the lens.

The Leica Vario-Elmarit-R 28-90mm f2.8-4.5 ASPH is a great lens. Arguably one of the best medium zooms ever made. It is fairly light considering its range, and yields beautiful images. We mounted it on a Leica M9, M240, and a Leica SL for this test. The lens went into production in 2004. Considering its vintage, its an exceptional design that rivals, and even surpasses, many modern zooms. When introduced, it set a new level for standard zoom performance, rivalling many prime lenses of the time. Lets see how it does today!

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75 f/2 ASPH Lens (11178)

A review of the Leica 75mm SL 75 lens.

Note: To view any of the images full size, just click on the image

Lets start with the specs:

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 90 f/2 ASPH Lens (11179)

Its quite a mouth full, but Leica has started shipping this lens, I managed to test one recently, so here is my review.

Note: To view any of the images full size, just click on the image

Lets start with the specs:

Getting Ready

Ah the joys of Travel in this modern era. Today. getting ready for any trip requires a ton of preparation. What lenses do I take, which camera bodies, how much weight am I willing to pack around, what to check, which bags – well you get the idea.

The first thing that you need to do is make a list of the places that you want to shoot. Once you have this list, then get a map and plan the best route. Do this east to west, north to south or the opposite, so that you can change your route at the last-minute, according to weather.

Next, I try to create a shortlist of hotels for each location where I plan to stay. This is usually determined by either sunrise or sunset shooting, or both. Remember to get their addresses prior to leaving. Driving should be planned at the poorest light time (usually the middle of the day), and do not under-estimate the time required to travel short distances in other countries, I have seen 250km take 7 hours in India for example. If you are planning to drive, then a portable navigation device is a must. You can preload destinations, shoot locations, and add tons of other valuable info.

I then check Internet sites such as pbase against my list of locations. These websites are excellent for finding out what locations, lenses and focal lengths that have been previously used by other photographers. Also remember to check out Google images, it can help with unique viewpoints. Check out each location with Google maps, this can tell you compass orientation for sunrise and sunset. I also use this for mapping locations for set up.

Buy a guide book before you leave, personally, I like DK books, but you may have a favourite. These books are invaluable for guiding taxi drivers, guides etc… Consider a few Apps for your smart phone, I find citymaps2go invaluable